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scara

I can't believe how few injuries they have had this season.
Nearly all their most influential players have had no injuries and yet we have had loads to our best players.

I don't know about signing players, I think we should sign their physio staff
Somehow Wenger managed to top it tonight:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says rivals influence TV schedules

Ars?¿ne Wenger has claimed that some rival Premier League clubs are obtaining an unfair advantage in the fixture schedule because of the influence they exert on television companies.

Arsenal were annoyed this week that their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Aston Villa had been scheduled for Sunday, Jan 29 to be screened live by ESPN, meaning there is then one day less between their next two Premier League fixtures . Arsenal also had only 48 hours between recent Premier League fixtures against QPR and Fulham, with Wenger claiming yesterday that his club were repeat victims.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt believe the Premier League has played in the last months or the last year a very fair role in the distribution of the fixtures,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£They are sold to television and television is influenced by some clubs to choose the fixtures. And some clubs get advantaged by television, if itÔÇÖs Sky or ESPN, because they have an influence there from the clubs directly.ÔÇØ

Wenger called on the Premier League to provide ÔÇ£a much bigger barrierÔÇØ, arguing that televisionÔÇÖs role in the current system offers a temptation for clubs to make unfair requests.

ÔÇ£If you do not master any more the fixtures you have no control of your league,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs what is wrong. Because if, tomorrow, you buy a club and your best friend is the owner of Sky TV, you donÔÇÖt think you will tell him, 'Look, you put us on Friday nightÔÇÖ. Or, 'You put us on Sunday nightÔÇÖ. ThatÔÇÖs not fair. You donÔÇÖt think that is a temptation? Of course it is.ÔÇØ

Although there is no suggestion that Tottenham have been trying to influence the television companies, it will not have escaped WengerÔÇÖs notice that their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Watford has been selected by ESPN for Friday, Jan 27. It means Tottenham will have an extra day to prepare for their next Premier League match the following Tuesday against Wigan. After that, Tottenham then have another five clear days before playing Liverpool in a Premier League game televised by Sky Sports on Feb 6.

Wenger refused to make any accusations against specific clubs but did claim his concerns were shared by other managers. ÔÇ£If things are repeated then itÔÇÖs not a coincidence any more,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£In England itÔÇÖs always very difficult to say what you feel about that but IÔÇÖm not the only manager who thinks that. ThereÔÇÖs a real problem.

ÔÇ£You cannot have decisive games with one team playing Friday and Tuesday, and another on Sunday and Tuesday. If I fight with you in a 100 metres run and you have to run the semi-final on Sunday morning and run against me on Sunday afternoon and I have a run on Friday morning, I donÔÇÖt need to accuse anyone. I just say, 'Is that fair or not?ÔÇÖ And itÔÇÖs not.ÔÇØ

When it was put to him that it was a big accusation to say certain clubs have an influence on Premier League fixtures, Wenger said: ÔÇ£It is the truth. I accuse nobody specifically. It is a problem that is happening every year and the guy that speaks about it looks like heÔÇÖs crazy.

ÔÇ£IÔÇÖve been working for 30 years in football, and it is not right. Of course it happens to many clubs. It happens less to some than others. If the Premier League doesnÔÇÖt decide, it is the television that decides. That means that television can be influenced and the Premier League has nothing to say. We have sold our soul and we do not control our games, our fixtures, any more. The Premier League should master the fixtures.ÔÇØ

There was no official response to WengerÔÇÖs claims, either from the Premier League or Sky Sports and ESPN. Privately, though, there is a feeling that it would be impossible for clubs to influence fixtures as Wenger suggests, with the date of each match subject to numerous extenuating circumstances, including the wishes of police, the local authorities, the schedules of other competitions and rules governing how often each club can be selected for live broadcast.

Clubs must also agree to schedule their matches for television, with Arsenal signing off the FA Cup match against Aston Villa on Jan 29 that will be screened on ESPN. Clubs are well remunerated when they appear live on television, receiving ?ú127,000 for an FA Cup game and ?ú500,000 for Premier League matches.

'Television is GHod,ÔÇÖ admits Ferguson

Ars?¿ne Wenger estimated that Arsenal had suffered ÔÇ£50 timesÔÇØ due to the fixture schedule. His grievances include:

Playing Aston Villa, Bolton and Blackburn in the space of seven days this January and February. TottenhamÔÇÖs equivalent fixtures are spread over 11 days.

Playing QPR and Fulham in the space of three days during the festive period when others had more time between matches.

Playing Stoke City four days before the final of last seasonÔÇÖs Carling Cup. Birmingham, their opponents, had a potential midweek match against Everton postponed.

Other leading managers have also complained this season. Sir Alex Ferguson said: ÔÇ£When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is GHod at the moment.ÔÇØ Roberto Mancini said: ÔÇ£Having to play twice in two days when others play every three days is not correct.ÔÇØ

Sometimes, I think someone needs to slap Wenger on the back of the head, sit him on a chair and like that guy off Harry Enfield say Oi Wenger, NOOOOO - Your team is made of too many average players carried by Van Persie. There is no conspiracy whether by the FA, refs, or whoever - how about looking at your hopeless transfer strategy first and realise that its you who is reason. How about looking at how you stick by poor players for too long rather than throwing your water bottle on the ground wondering whos fault is it this week.

Though I do sense over the last few years he is losing the plot more and more

More frequent public outbursts and strange rambling

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He's always been a hypocritical and inconsistent taco as far as I am concerned. I remember a few seasons ago when in the course of the same season he ranted about having to play in the League Cup, citing that there were too many games his team had to play in a season, and then ranted about how bad it was that UEFA were removing the second Group Stage from the Champions League despite the fact the effect would be less games that his team would have to play in a season.

I think the difference now is that the media used to be up his arse so much, stating what a tactical genius he was, how great he was in the transfer market and all that gonads, and it was gonads for the most part, but now the media are having a few more digs and slanting his rants in a more negative light.

Read somewhere on arsemania that when we do finish above them it 'wont mean anything' because theyve finished above us for the last 16 years

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They are pathetic. Before we qualified for the CL it was "you'll never get top 4". When the draw was made it was "you'll never get out the group". When we finished top it was "You won't beat Milan". Etc etc. They are having a hard time coming to terms with the fact we are now the best side in North London. fudging cry babies,the lot of em'

Essentially, they're right but with them lot they're always shifting the goal-posts like someone said above. When we finish above this season it'll be "Only 15 more to go before your actually level with us" or something along those lines.

Poor old Arsenal, living in the shadow of their neighbours and fighting for a Champions League spot. But what infuriates me is the fact they use injuries as an excuse. You just have to look at who they signed in the summer, and then remind yourself that Arsenal are full of injury-prone players...